Behavioral Science and Ghosts
by CynthiaW
Summary: The Guys in White are desperate to finally catch the elusive ghost, Danny Phantom. They enlist the aid of the nation's foremost experts in behavior. Will the BAU be willing to help them?
1. Chapter 1

Behavioral Science and Ghosts

Disclaimer: I do not own either _Danny Phantom_ or _Criminal Minds_.

Summary: The Guys in White are desperate to finally catch the elusive ghost, Danny Phantom. They enlist the aid of the nation's foremost experts in behavior. Will the BAU be willing to help them?

A/N: This takes place about a month post-"Reign Storm" in the _Danny Phantom_ timeline. In _Criminal Minds_ , it's after Hotch's divorce from Haley, but pre-Boston Reaper case.

Chapter 1

FBI Headquarters, Quantico, Virginia

It was a slow day in the bullpen of the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit. Most of the teams had no active investigations, so they were all doing paperwork from old or inactive cases. Supervisory Special Agent Derek Morgan looked up when the glass doors opened to allow entry to two men in brilliantly white suits, one of whom was black and the other was white. They were of identical build, being broad at the shoulders and narrow at the hips. They were both bald, had earwigs, and, rather strangely, were wearing sunglasses.

The two strangers looked around the room at all of the agents either working or walking between the desks. Derek recognized which agency they represented; not many of the alphabet soup of agencies had agents so obviously government. Puzzled by their presence, he stood up to greet them. "Morning. I'm Supervisory Special Agent Derek Morgan. What brings operatives from the Guys in White to the FBI?"

The two men nodded in greeting. The white operative spoke. "Operatives O and K. We need to speak with..." He pulled out a notepad to read. "Section Chief Erin Strauss."

The other chimed in. "It's a matter of great importance."

Derek looked quizzically at them. "Alright. I'll take you to her. If you'll follow me, please."

On his way to Erin Strauss's office, he noticed his friend and teammate, SSA Emily Prentiss giving him a curious look. He nodded discreetly to the operatives behind him and rolled his eyes in annoyance. The GiW had a reputation among the other agencies. Emily turned back to her desk, visibly stifling her laughter.

* * *

Section Chief Erin Strauss looked up from the file she was reading at the firm knock on her door. "Yes?"

The door opened to allow SSA Morgan to stick his head in. "Ma'am? There are a couple of visitors to the BAU here to see you."

Puzzled, Erin closed the file. "Visitors? I don't have any appointments this morning. Who are they?"

Grimacing in distaste, Morgan told her, "Operatives O and K from the Guys in White."

The blonde woman sighed. "Ghosts are beyond our purview, but alright. I'll talk to them. Thank you, Agent Morgan."

"Ma'am." The black man nodded respectfully, then opened the door wider to admit the operatives. Once both men were inside, Morgan left, shutting the door behind him.

"Section Chief Strauss." The white operative nodded to her. "I'm Operative O, and this is Operative K." He nodded to the man behind him, who inclined his head in greeting.

Sitting back in her chair, Strauss rested her arms on the desk in front of her. "And how can the BAU help the Guys in White today?"

Operative K said, "We need the assistance of your best team to help us catch the Ghost Boy, Danny Phantom."

Before Strauss could object, Operative O told her, "This ghost is unlike any other ghost we've dealt with. In some ways, he behaves almost as if he were a human. The teams the BAU trains are the foremost experts in behavioral science. Our Director feels that this is what we need to determine how best to catch Phantom."

Strauss rubbed the bridge of her nose, trying to decide how best to phrase her next statement. Looking up at the two operatives after a moment, she informed them, "The experts all say that ghosts don't think like humans. They all exhibit an extreme form of OCD that rules their every action. Once you can identify the ghost's obsession, you can figure out how to deal with it. You know this as well as I do. So why do you need the BAU?"

Operative K pulled out a file from somewhere inside his coat pocket. "Danny Phantom doesn't have any recognizable obsession. He shows up all over Amity Park. He's seen in all sorts of locations, ranging from the mall to the school, to downtown. Ghosts of all stripes have been seen in his vicinity."

Taking the file, Strauss flipped through the papers inside. "I see. My final objection is this: the BAU only steps in when we are invited by local law enforcement. We work with these people, so they need to know that we won't simply take over whenever we feel like it. Your agency may have its own rules of conduct, but the BAU can't just investigate this ghost and its usual haunts without the local government's knowledge."

Operative O now handed her an envelope. "You have your invitation, ma'am. Signed by Mayor Montez himself."

Strauss pulled the folded sheet of paper from the envelope and looked over the contents of the letter. It was, indeed, signed by the mayor of Amity Park, complete with the seal of the city. "Well, since you've convinced the mayor to ask us to profile this ghost, I will take you to meet my best team of profilers."

Brushing her hair behind her ear, the Section Chief stood up and led the operatives out of her office. She stopped off at the office of Unit Chief SSA Aaron Hotchner. Knocking on the door, she waited for the younger man to tell her, "Come in." Then, she stuck her head in the door. "Agent Hotchner, assemble your team in the conference room. Have Miss Garcia join you, as well."

Aaron looked up at her, confused. "Ma'am? JJ didn't say anything about a new case. What's going on?"

Erin could only roll her eyes in annoyance. "This just came to my attention, Aaron. I'll brief everyone in the conference room."

The dark-haired man sighed as he closed the file he'd been working on. "Very well, Ma'am. I'll meet you in the conference room with my team."

* * *

Ten minutes later, the team began filing into the conference room. David Rossi, an older man with salt-and-pepper hair and beard, noted the presence of the two operatives of the Guys in White with only a slight tightening around the eyes to show his displeasure. Aaron "Hotch" Hotchner, the team leader, showed more visible annoyance.

They were followed by a curious Jennifer "JJ" Jareau, the team's Media Liaison. The blonde was rather puzzled that this case hadn't passed through her office first, the usual way they received cases. Her friend Emily Prentiss, a dark-haired woman with a slightly more muscular build, seemed amused to the point of struggling not to laugh when she looked at the Guys in White.

Tall, lanky Dr. Spencer Reid seemed to be running scenarios in his head to see if he could figure out why the Guys in White needed them. His eyes were scanning side to side, as though reading, as he calculated odds.

Derek Morgan entered after him, his dark face looking as amused as Prentiss's face when he saw the two white-clad operatives. Right behind him, Technical Analyst Penelope Garcia furrowed her brows in puzzlement as she came in. "I don't get it, Derek! Why am I here? I'm almost never part of these case briefings!"

Derek turned to put a hand on the shorter woman's shoulder. "Easy, Mama! Strauss will explain as soon as we sit down."

Garcia stopped short and looked at the expressionless face of the older woman who ran the BAU, who stood at the front of the room with the two Guys in White operatives. "Sorry, Ma'am." With a sheepish look, she found a seat next to Derek, sitting on his right so she was less visible behind the bulky former football player.

Hotch looked around to make sure that his whole team was now paying attention. Then, he turned to look at Strauss. "Now that we're all here, what, exactly, are we doing here?"

Strauss nodded to the GiW operatives. One of them stepped forward, looking nervous about having to do this. "I am Operative O and this is my partner, Operative K. We are here to ask for your assistance in catching a dangerous ghost."

There was absolute silence at this. Rossi was the first to speak. "You're kidding, right? Your department is a _joke_! If it wasn't for the brief disappearance of Amity Park, Illinois last month, we wouldn't even _be_ here to entertain this idea of hearing you out."

O and K looked at one another. Both knew the reputation the Guys in White had in the other government agencies. K said, "The BAU is renowned for the creativity of its agents. The operatives of the GiW have no imagination. It's why they hired us. To catch this ghost, it will be necessary to think outside the box. We aren't prepared to do this; the BAU is."

Reid studied the two nervous operatives. "Okay. Why don't you guys give us a specific rundown on why this ghost is so important to catch."

The two operatives began handing out case files to the team. "The ghost's name is Danny Phantom. He's been haunting Amity Park, Illinois, for about a year and a half. His fights with other ghosts indicate that he's more powerful than any other ghost that regularly shows up. Though the ghost that caused the town to disappear might be more powerful than he is, we don't know enough about it to be certain.

"Phantom's ghost fights tend to cause a lot of property damage, like smashed streets, destroyed electronics, broken glass from storefronts, and the like."

Morgan interrupted the litany. "So why is _this_ ghost more important than any other ghost? Surely he's not the only one doing all this damage?"

Emily answered before either O or K could say anything. "This is the ghost that some anonymous benefactor offered a million-dollar bounty on." She turned an incredulous gaze on the operatives. "You're going to use FBI resources because _you_ failed to be successful bounty hunters?"

Looking very embarrassed, O told her, "Yes, we have been authorized to do so."

K slapped his partner on the back of the head. "That's only one point. Phantom is the most recognizable ghost in Amity Park, and he's different from all of the other ghosts. He's been seen all over town: at the high school, the mall, the record store, the electronics store, the park, the Nasty Burger," the team scrunched their faces in confusion, "which is a local fast food place."

"He also kidnapped the mayor," O put in. "All in all, we can't figure out what his obsession is. That's why we need your help. He's dangerous, and we can't stop him until we know what drives him."

Hotch looked around at his team, each slowly nodding in acquiescence, some more reluctantly than others. Garcia still looked confused about her presence at this briefing. "Alright. We'll come to Amity Park, if for no other reason than to satisfy our own curiosity."


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own either _Criminal Minds_ or _Danny Phantom_. I also lay no claims to the play _Hamlet_.

A/N: Thank you to all of you who have read, reviewed, and added this story (and me) to your Favorites and Alerts lists. I offer iced tea and apples in honor of Labor Day. Good luck to all of you students as the school year begins.

Chapter 2

" _There are more things in Heaven and Earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy."_

– Hamlet, _Hamlet, Prince of Denmark_ , Act I scene 5 (William Shakespeare)

* * *

The team took their jet to Amity Park, IL, that afternoon. Once the jet had leveled off at cruising altitude, the team assembled around Hotch's laptop to Skype Garcia, who was locating information for them in her office back in Quantico. At this point, she was consolidating what she could access on Danny Phantom and the other ghosts that regularly showed up in Amity Park.

Morgan was still annoyed about the reason for this trip. "Remind me why we're doing this, again?" The black agent was rubbing the bridge of his nose as he looked over the GiW file on Danny Phantom.

Rossi sighed as he also read through the information. "Because a group of incompetent idiots managed to convince Erin, who I thought was smarter than this, that our help was needed in hunting down a ghost."

Reid, who had already read everything during takeoff, noted, "You know, they do have some reason to think that Phantom is different than the other ghosts that come to Amity Park."

Hotch looked up from reading his own file. "How so?"

The genius began enumerating everything. "Well, every other ghost the GiW have information on has a very clear obsession that defines everything it does. Some of them actually state their purpose very clearly, almost bragging about why they're terrorizing the town. But this Phantom doesn't say anything that indicates what he's trying to do."

JJ offered, "Well, maybe not all ghosts have an obsession, Spence. After all, we don't know that much about ghosts. They can't all be of a piece. People are different, so it stands to reason that ghosts are different, too."

Spencer turned to look at the blonde. "Actually, all ghosts _do_ have obsessions, JJ. It's a pretty well established fact. Phantom's obsession just isn't obvious to the Guys in White. He seems to be more human in his behavior than most ghosts. The types of places he's seen are more varied than other ghosts. And he seems less comfortable with his powers."

"You know," Emily pointed out, "there _is_ a pattern, here. He's showing up in all of the popular teen hangouts." She moved the list of frequent sightings to where everyone could see it. "Look at this: the high school, the mall, certain single stores where teens often shop, the park, concerts, a favorite local fast food place..."

Garcia chimed in from the computer. "Yeah, weird thing about that concert Phantom showed up at: This Ember McLain had every teenager, worldwide, going nuts about her for _two whole days_ before her only concert. It was a live broadcast, no taping allowed, and was suddenly interrupted when some kid started singing her only hit badly off-key, right on stage.

"Quite suddenly, everyone hated her, and she vanished from the airwaves overnight. Even stranger, Ember McLain doesn't seem to exist anywhere. Her name isn't in any official records, so I ran her through facial recognition, in case the name was an alias, and _nada_. No such person anywhere in the world. It's like she's a ghost."

Smirks appeared on every agent's face at Garcia's last comment. Morgan said, "Baby girl, that is just wrong. We're trying to profile a ghost, and you're making bad jokes about a girl that managed to stay out of official records."

Garcia smiled. "Honey, her _parents_ would have had to be staying off the radar for me not to be able to find her. No birth records, no school records, no hospital records... She's never had a school photo, driver's license, non-driver's ID... _Nothing_! She doesn't exist, Derek!"

Rossi mused, "That's quite a feat. I think Garcia's right: Ember might just have been a ghost." Garcia smirked at Derek, who glared back her halfheartedly. Rossi chuckled at the byplay before continuing, "We'll have to talk to the kids while we're there. Given that Phantom spends so much time at the teen hangouts, they probably see a lot of him."

Emily noted, "Phantom looks about the age of a high school kid. Maybe he died as a teenager. Is it possible that Phantom's obsession is so hard to pinpoint because he's so young?"

Spencer shook his head. "I doubt it, Emily. Teenagers tend to be pretty self-absorbed. An obsession would be more likely to develop in the ghost of a teen, not less so. And it should be more obvious to the observer. Teens are often more likely to focus on a single objective than adults. They also tend to be less likely to care whether others are hurt by their actions. I would expect far more damage to extraneous buildings than tends to happen in Phantom's fights."

Hotch carefully considered his team's points. "Alright. We'll be setting up at the Amity Park Police Station. I don't want our profile colored by the GiW's biases. JJ and Reid, you'll go to the high school. Talk to the teachers, find out which of the students are most likely to have information on Phantom. While you're there, see if they'll allow you to talk with the students, as well." Both agents nodded.

"Prentiss and Morgan, you'll head to the Fenton home. Jack and Maddie Fenton are the local ghost experts, so I want you to talk to them about what they know about Phantom." They also nodded.

"Rossi, you'll come with me to the Police Station. We'll have to get their take on Phantom, so we can get a clearer idea of his effect on the town." At Dave's nod, he continued. "I know none of us is too happy with doing the GiW's dirty work, but the faster we get this done, the faster we can get back to doing our regular jobs."

* * *

Amity Park, IL

The team took rooms at a hotel when they landed. Since they didn't have to worry about stopping a killer, for once, they all decided to just begin their investigation in the morning. This decision was only helped along by their distaste for the case.

After breakfast the next day, the team separated to look into their agreed upon avenues of investigation. Hotch and Rossi took one of the SUVs to the Amity Park Police Station. As the two agents entered the small police station, they saw two officers seated at the reception desk. While both were men, one was Hispanic and one was white. The white officer's uniform bore sergeant's stripes.

The white officer greeted them, "Good morning, sirs. How can we help you?"

While Rossi was older, Hotch, as the Unit Chief, took the lead. "Good morning, Sergeant. I'm Supervisory Special Agent Aaron Hotchner, and this is Supervisory Special Agent David Rossi." They both showed the officers their credentials.

The sergeant, obviously puzzled, said, "I'm Sergeant Frank Anderson, and this is my partner, Officer Edward Vasquez. What can we do for you, Agents?"

Hotch removed the letter the GiW operatives had given Strauss from his coat pocket. "Mayor Montez requested the services of the Behavioral Analysis Unit of the FBI to create a profile on one of your local ghosts, Danny Phantom." Rossi couldn't help a grunt of displeasure at this.

The officers looked at each other, then turned back to the agents. They chorused, "The Ghost Kid?"

Rossi cocked his head in curiosity, but merely noted, "We hear he's made quite a name for himself."

Sergeant Anderson shrugged uncomfortably. "Well, he's either a good kid or a bad kid; a hero or a villain, depending on who you ask."

Hotch raised an eyebrow at the comment. "Well, that settles it, doesn't it?" he noted dryly.

Anderson rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Yeah... That wasn't very helpful, was it?" The two agents gave him a 'What do _you_ think?' look.

The sergeant lowered his hand again as he explained. "The reason there's such a problem is that the Ghost Kid doesn't make any sense. When ghosts attack the high school, both the teachers and the students swear up and down that Danny Phantom saved them, defeating and capturing the ghosts, and then moseying off into the sunset, or wherever it is ghosts go." There were nods from the agents at this.

Officer Vasquez chimed in, "Then, you have the incident, about six months ago, where this place was Ghost Central."

Anderson turned to him with an incredulous look. "Which time was _that_?" It was quite clear from his tone that the suggested influx of ghosts was a common occurrence.

Recognizing this, Vasquez clarified his statement. "Not this last one, when the whole town got sucked into the 'Twilight Zone,' or the 'Ghost Zone,' or whatever you want to call it." Rossi and Hotch looked at each other, tempted to ask for more details. The town's disappearance was the reason the GiW were now a part of the Federal government. They decided to let it be. The two officers were sharing a lot more just arguing amongst themselves than they would if reminded of the agents' presence.

Vasquez continued his statement. "I'm talking about when there was a ghost invasion so bad, the Mayor deputized the Fentons to protect the high school and instituted the curfew."

Anderson rolled his eyes in disgust at this statement. Hotch and Rossi looked at each other in amusement.

Completely ignoring the two agents, Vasquez reminded his partner, "Phantom kidnapped the Mayor!"

Totally caught off guard, the agents looked at each other in shock. They chorused, "He did _what_!?"

The officers were still ignoring the agents as they argued back and forth. Rolling his eyes again, Anderson pointed out, "If he did, he didn't try very hard. I'm not convinced that we saw the whole business. That Phantom kid is a powerful little ghost, and if he put his mind to something, he'd get it done. But after the so-called 'kidnapping' incident, the Mayor woke up to see the Ghost Kid standing over him in a protective stance. Ernesto never made it clear what the Ghost Kid was protecting him _from_ , but _he_ said the Ghost Kid did not appear to be dangerous, but protective."

Hotch tilted his head to one side in interest. This was unexpected entertainment and information. They were learning a lot already, and they hadn't even asked any questions, yet.

Vasquez snapped at his partner, "Oh yeah? The Ghost Kid is responsible for thousands of dollars of property damage."

Anderson put a hand on his chin in thought. "Have you actually ever stopped to _watch_ one of these ghost fights? It's collateral damage, at best. A ghost that's bigger than him might shoot him with what the Fentons might call an 'ecto-blast' or something. The kid falls, and the crater left behind as the kid dusts himself off from whatever happened to him can hardly be blamed on the poor kid."

Vasquez crossed his arms in defiance. "Really? Then how do you square that away with the jewelry heists he was involved in?"

Anderson looked up at the ceiling a moment before turning to face the other officer. "Unless I have failed to remember this correctly, Phantom stopped those other ghosts, and every last thing that was stolen (and he _appeared_ to help to steal) was found with that Freakshow, who clearly was the mastermind, who mourned that he was no longer in control of the ghosts who performed for him and stole for him.

"Isn't that funny? The ridiculously disturbed ringmaster proved to be as single-minded as most ghosts are. He was so taken with his loss of the _control_ of these ghosts, that he failed to notice he was giving us a _full-blown confession_ of his crimes and of somehow forcing the ghosts to act under duress." He leaned forward. "If the Ghost Kid was acting under duress, it wasn't his fault that he was involved in the crime spree.

"But even before the Ghost Boy's participation in said spree, you were perfectly willing to _frame_ him as you contemplated stealing a diamond necklace and blaming _him_."

When the two agents glared at him, Vasquez blushed. "I was just joking."

"You don't joke about that," Hotch told the embarrassed officer sternly. The former prosecutor was furious at this evidence of misconduct.

Vasquez sighed in defeat. "I am _never_ going to live this down, am I?"

Anderson and the FBI agents all chorused, "Never."

* * *

In the meantime, JJ and Reid drove to Casper High School. The building appeared to be a typical small town high school: three stories, with a brick facade, and an American flag on the roof. As they entered, Reid was regaling JJ with what he felt were fascinating stats on high schools in the state of Illinois. JJ had tuned him out within the first couple sentences.

As the blonde agent was trying to figure out which hallway to take, a tall redhead with a spring in her step turned the corner. The girl stopped in surprise on seeing the two adults, then walked over to them eagerly.

Jazz Fenton was on her way to the library for study hall. She was surprised to see a woman in a gray business suit standing in the school foyer beside a young college student carrying a messenger bag. 'Are they recruiting?' she wondered.

The teen walked over to the pair. "Hi, I'm Jazz. Who are you, and how can I help you?"

As both agents pulled out their badges, the woman spoke. "I'm Special Agent Jennifer Jareau and this is Dr. Spencer Reid. We're from the FBI. We need to speak to the school principal."

Puzzled as to why the FBI would be in Amity Park, Jazz said, "Principal Ishiyama? Sure. Let me take you."

The two agents were glad to find someone so helpful, and they accepted her offer. As the teen led them to the principal's office, she asked, "So what unit do you work with?"

Dr. Reid answered, "The Behavioral Analysis Unit, the BAU. We analyze the behavior of criminals in order to catch them."

Jazz's face lit up in fascination. "Really? I'm really interested in psychology. I've been helping to counsel some of the troubled teens here at Casper High. But using it to solve crimes sounds very interesting."

Dr. Reid began fidgeting with his fingers as he entered 'lecture mode.' "Behavioral science is an extremely fascinating topic. Since a large part of it is understanding how people tend to react to certain kinds of stimuli, we apply that to determining how those reactions lead to criminal behavior.

"Then, we use the methods used in the crime to isolate a suspect pool. This allows us to narrow down the kinds of people we're looking for. In addition, we have to also look at the locations the criminal prefers and the types of people they prefer to target."

Agent Jareau rolled her eyes. "Okay, Spence. I think she understands."

As Dr. Reid blushed and mumbled an apology, Jazz laughed. "Wow. You remind me of my dad. But in a really cool way."

Curious, Agent Jareau looked over at the redhead. "Who is your dad?"

"Jack Fenton," the teen answered, blushing at the admission. "While the BAU sounds very cool, Dad... hunts ghosts." The girl rubbed the back of her neck, clearly uncomfortable.

The two agents fell silent, trying to decide what to ask next. Before either had a chance to do so, Jazz suddenly perked up again. "Here's Principal Ishiyama's office!"

Turning to face their student guide, Agent Jareau said, "Thanks for showing us the way, Jazz."

"My pleasure." The redhead walked off, a cheerful bounce in her step as she left the two agents.

JJ and Reid walked up to the principal's office door. The blonde agent knocked on the door. A high female voice called out, "Come in."

As the agents entered, the stocky Asian woman behind the desk turned to the door in curiosity. "Yes, can I help you?"

JJ stepped forward. "Principal Ishiyama?"

The dark-haired woman nodded. "Yes. And you are...?"

Once again pulling out their badges, both agents fully entered the office. JJ said, "I'm Special Agent Jennifer Jareau, and this is Dr. Spencer Reid. We're from the FBI."

The principal was shocked. "The FBI? Oh my! And what has our fair school done to attract such important attention?" The woman's sing-song voice and clutching of her hand to her chest struck the agents as rather over the top.

JJ was a bit thrown by the principal's attitude. The older woman seemed to be almost eager to hear what she obviously assumed to be good news. Clearing her throat, the Media Liaison adopted the expression she used for press conferences. "Ms. Ishiyama, we've been asked to assist in an investigation into the ghost Danny Phantom."

Principal Ishiyama looked stunned for a moment before she recovered her composure. "Well, my assistant principal, Mr. Lancer, will know far more about it, but the ghost Danny Phantom has been seen all over this school – nay, all over this town! – but especially in this school."

JJ nodded. "We realize that, Ma'am. As part of our investigation, we'd like to speak with your faculty and, if possible, your students as well, about Phantom's activities around the school."

The Asian woman paused a couple of seconds in surprise, then spluttered, before putting a hand on her chest as though delivering a Presidential stump speech. "Of course! We will do anything and everything we can to cooperate with you, of the FBI." JJ and Reid looked at one another; the sense of the principal's political grandstanding was growing on both of them.

The principal was so eager to help, that it didn't take long to set up the agents in an empty classroom. The desks and chairs had been cleared away, In the center of the room, a small folding table was set up. Two folding chairs were set u p on one side, and one chair on the other. The teachers were sent to speak with the agents during their free periods. JJ was rather disturbed by the principal's behavior, though the older woman's readiness to help was a relief. Reid was fascinated by this almost childlike desire to be seen to be helping. The genius was actually wondering if that desire to help would culminate in the principal actually impeding where she thought she was helping.

Over the course of the morning, JJ and Reid were subjected to a long litany of each teacher's description of _every_ encounter they had ever had with Danny Phantom. Most were colored by the individual teachers' perceptions about why the ghost teen was there. Some clearly felt that the ghost was possibly dangerous, while others just as clearly felt he was just doing his best to help where he could.

Mr. Faluca, one of the Math teachers, described an encounter with a giant green mosquito. "The mandibular formation was quite interesting, though I dearly hoped not to experience them from the inside. I was backed up against the wall, when a benevolent ghost suddenly swooped in and forced it out of the building. I didn't see said ghost, at first, because it was invisible. But I was curious to see the fate of the monstrosity that had me cornered. So I ran to the window to watch, and it appeared that Danny Phantom had an aerial dogfight with the giant mosquito."

Satisfaction entered the teacher's expression as he said, "It was quite amazing to watch as Danny Phantom jumped out of the way of the mosquito, and it got electrocuted by the power lines, like a giant bug zapper. No matter what anyone else says about him, I will always be grateful to Danny Phantom for saving me."

Reid nodded. "So Danny Phantom was very clearly trying to stop this thing?"

The shorter man nodded vehemently. "Oh, yes, Dr. Reid. He seemed _very_ unhappy that the mosquito was there. I had no doubt he was protecting me from it."

JJ and Reid looked at each other, considering this. Then, JJ asked, "Was there any other ghostly activity that day?"

Mr. Faluca hesitated a moment in thought. "Well... That was also the day almost all of the students began exhibiting what appeared to be ghost powers. I realize that the Fentons, particularly Mrs. Madeline Fenton, said that humans having ghost powers was ridiculous, but I know what I saw.

"Most of the students had a problem turning invisible, or intangible, or both, with a touch of levitation. And I promise you, there was no levity about the situation, at all." The two agents rolled their eyes at the pun. "Then, this strange man, a Dr. Bert Rand, came to the school. As the students were quite clearly ill, he insisted on quarantining the children at North Mercy Hospital.

"Since he _seemed_ to be a government official, no one objected. Though I'm not certain what agency he was from. Unlike you, he and his assistants didn't present badges. And we had no idea if they were City, State, or Federal." The teacher was clearly puzzled by this. "To this day, I'm still not sure what right they had. But, sometimes, the _appearance_ of propriety seems more tangible than actual..." He trailed off and stared out the window in thought.

After giving JJ a speaking look, Reid went to the far corner of the room from where the interviews were being conducted. Pulling out his cell phone, he called Garcia.

"Fountain of All Knowledge. How can I help you?" Garcia's chipper voice had the genius smiling.

Then, Reid cleared his throat. "Um, Garcia, I need you to look into a Dr. Bert Rand. He seems to have been involved in some sort of quarantine of all the students at Casper High. One of the teachers suggested there might be something suspicious about the circumstances. Quite frankly, I'm almost positive that there's something fishy about it."

"Just give me a moment, sweet cheeks." There was the sound of the tech analyst typing away on her keyboard as she ran her search. "Well, I can't find any record of anyone named Bert Rand, doctor or otherwise." There was another pause. "And this quarantine is nowhere in any government records I can find. The CDC keeps scrupulous records about these kinds of things. You are right, my little genius. There is _definitely_ something off about this."

"Thanks, Garcia." Reid hung up, then returned to JJ's side for the next interview.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own either _Danny Phantom_ or _Criminal Minds_.

A/N: Thank you to everyone for reviewing and adding this story and me to your assorted lists. I offer ice cream of your favorite flavor in thanks.

Chapter 3

Emily Prentiss and Derek Morgan were on their way to Fenton Works to interview the Fentons. Morgan, having grown up in Chicago, found it odd to see the streets so quiet. Prentiss was watching the buildings as he drove, when the woman suddenly spoke up. "Hold up, Morgan."

Morgan stopped the SUV in time for the two agents to see a black and white blur breaking through a glass storefront to their right, slamming into a brick wall on the other side of the street.

Both agents slipped out of the van on the passenger side and drew their guns. They could now see that what had pushed itself out of the human-shaped dent in the wall was what looked like a teenage boy with white hair and glowing green eyes. The black and white hazmat suit with a DP logo told the agents that _this_ was Danny Phantom.

The teen clenched his hands into fists, which began to glow with green energy. But he hadn't noticed the agents; all his attention was on the store front, out of which floated an adult with green skin and white mad scientist hair, wearing a white trench coat, green gloves, and sunglasses.

The older ghost let out an evil laugh as TV sets and other electronics floated out behind him. "I, Technus, Master of All Technology, will now use these televisions, VCRs and DVD players to control all television programs throughout the world!"

The two watching agents couldn't help but roll their eyes at the ghost's declaration of what it intended to do with the possessed merchandise. Morgan whispered, "How cliché can you get?" Prentiss nodded in agreement.

Phantom rolled his own eyes in annoyance. "You and every TV executive across the country." The agents started in surprise at the younger ghost's response. "You know, I actually was able to get my homework done for today. I was even prepared for the pop quiz, and I might have had a chance at getting a good grade on it."

Morgan almost fell over in shock at this small rant. Prentiss stared at the ghost. Why would the young ghost have homework and pop quizzes?

"This is _so_ not fair!" the teen whined, and fired an energy blast at this 'Technus.'

Technus blocked the blast with one of the VCRs, then threw one of the big-screen TVs. Frighteningly, the huge television flew, not at Phantom, but towards the agents crouched beside their SUV. Both of them were frozen in shock as the massive TV flew overhead.

For the first time, Phantom noticed the two humans. There was obvious fear in the teen's eyes as he erected a glowing green dome around the agents and their SUV. Then, he blasted the TV into smithereens, the shrapnel bouncing off the dome. Relief was clear to see in his expression before he turned back to the furious Technus.

Fuming, the older ghost starting building up a head of steam as he complained. "Do you have any idea how _advanced_ that television was?! It even had a DVD player built in! How DARE you..."

Phantom interrupted the rant before it could really get going. "I don't _care_ how advanced it was. You almost hit those humans with it. They could have been hurt." He fired another blast at Technus, hitting the ghost square in the chest. As Technus went flying back into the ruined store and the TV sets and other detritus fell to the ground, Phantom flew over to the stunned agents.

The dome the teen had erected disappeared as Phantom landed in front of the humans. Anxiously, he asked, "Are you guys okay?"

The agents blinked in surprise. Morgan asked, "Why do you ask?"

Phantom floated, crossing his arms, and gave him a sidelong look. "Most humans who live and work here would have been out of the way already." When pieces of merchandise between 5 and 100 pounds started flying out of a store, most residents of Amity Park knew to take cover, not stand and watch.

Morgan and Prentiss looked at one another, then both stood up and re-holstered their guns. It was clear that Phantom wasn't going to try to hurt them (not that they knew for sure whether their weapons _could_ hurt a ghost). Prentiss spoke for the both of them. "Yes, we're alright. Thank you. We just weren't expecting to drive into an ongoing ghost fight."

Phantom glanced back at the store a moment. Then, he rubbed the back of his neck with one hand. "Yeah. I never know when I have to deal with these guys. Speaking of..." He pulled a green and silver thermos from somewhere. Uncapping it, he turned to face Technus, who was now crawling out of the store. " _That'll_ teach you to mess with humans when _I'm_ around." He pointed the open end of the thermos at the beaten ghost, then pressed a spot on the side. A blue-white light shot out to engulf the other ghost, and when it faded, the ghost was gone.

The agents watched as the teen recapped the strange thermos. Morgan asked, "What do you do with them once you catch them?"

Phantom looked at him. "I release them back into the Ghost Zone, and slam the door behind them." He scrunched his eyebrows. "How they keep straggling back out again is a mystery to me." He looked down at a watch on his wrist. "Crud. I gotta go." He flew off and turned invisible, leaving the agents to stare at the spot where the altercation had been.

Finally, Prentiss said, "This definitely isn't part of our normal job description."

Morgan sighed. "I'll say. C'mon, Emily. Let's get going. We've still got to talk to the Fentons."

* * *

Morgan and Prentiss pulled up in front of Fenton Works. It was the _gaudiest_ building that either agent had ever seen! And they'd been to Vegas! The main structure was built normally, but it was topped by a massive blimp-like metal structure with all sorts of devices and protuberances. It was identified further by a neon sign on the upper floors of the main building declaring to all and sundry the name of the Fentons' home. The hotel staff hadn't been kidding when they said the agents could not _possibly_ miss it!

The agents climbed the steps and rang the doorbell, badges ready to be presented. They had been warned of Jack Fenton's trigger finger, though they had also been told the large man couldn't aim. Apparently, he was known for his tendency to miss his targets, unless it happened to be a human he'd mistaken for a ghost. Morgan hoped this would be relatively painless, as he waited with Prentiss on the doorstep.

Both agents relaxed the tension in their shoulders as the door opened to reveal a lean, athletic redheaded woman in a blue hazmat suit. Maddie Fenton was reported to be more level-headed than her husband, a better shot, and a ninth-degree black belt, to boot.

The ghost hunter looked at them curiously. "Yes? Can I help you?"

"Mrs. Fenton?" Morgan and Prentiss held up their badges for her to see. At her nod, Morgan continued. "I'm Agent Derek Morgan and this is Agent Emily Prentiss. We're from the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit."

The redhead studied the badges before looking up at Morgan. "What brings you here? Is this about the kids? Are they okay?"

Prentiss stepped up beside her partner. "We haven't seen your kids, but we haven't heard that anything is wrong with them, Mrs. Fenton."

Morgan added, "If we heard that something was wrong, we would let you know."

At the ghost hunter's reluctant nod, Prentiss continued. "We've been called in to assist in profiling one of your local ghosts, Danny Phantom. We were hoping you and your husband could give us some insight, as the town's ghost experts."

Maddie's face tightened at the mention of Danny Phantom. Then, she smiled at the two agents at the request for help. "We'd be delighted to help the government on this. Danny Phantom is a menace, but we never seem to be able to capture him." She stepped back to let the two visitors inside. "Come on in. Have a seat on the couch." Turning to the kitchen, where Morgan could glimpse the sight of an open door to one side, Maddie called out, "Jack, we have visitors!"

A yell of, "Coming, Maddie!" preceded the thundering of footsteps from the basement. A huge man, six feet tall and broad-shouldered, wearing an orange hazmat suit, came running up the stairs. He ran a hand over his black hair with graying sideburns, his other hand gripping a strange device with a green swirl surrounding a letter 'F' on its side.

Jack Fenton slid to a halt at the sight of a tall black man in t-shirt and jeans beside a dark-haired woman in a dark pant suit. Both had badges in hand, ready to show him as he entered the room. He glanced briefly at Maddie in puzzlement, noticing that his wife didn't appear to feel threatened by the two strangers. "What's going on, Sweet Cheeks?"

Maddie wore a business-like expression as she answered him. "Honey, these are Agents Morgan and Prentiss from the FBI. They're here to investigate Danny Phantom, and are asking for our help in building a profile on that ghostly menace."

Jack's face lit up at this. "I get to blather on about ghosts?!"

Morgan and Prentiss looked at one another with raised eyebrows. This was going to be an interesting conversation. Hopefully, they could keep the enthusiastic man on-topic.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own either _Danny Phantom_ or _Criminal Minds_.

A/N: Thank you, once again, to all of you who have read, reviewed, and added this story and me to your assorted lists. I offer all of you apples and honey in thanks.

Chapter 4

Morgan and Prentiss were quickly settled on the couch in the Fenton living room, the two ghost hunters seated beside them. Jack was clearly ready to start blathering on about ghosts at any moment, but Maddie had managed to convince him to let her do most of the talking.

Maddie asked, "So what did you want to know?"

Morgan took a breath, and decided to start with the basics. "Well, why don't we start with general ghost behavior? What do ghosts do?"

Maddie laid a restraining hand on her husband before answering. "Well, all ghosts have three main powers: flight, invisibility, and intangibility. After that, it depends on the ghost what they're capable of."

"And boy, have we seen some real doozies!" Jack cut in. "Possession (of people and stuff), ectoblasts, cryokinesis..."

His wife elbowed the large man before saying, "The question is: what do they _use_ those powers for?"

Curious, Prentiss asked, "And what would that be?"

Maddie sighed. "Most of the ghosts we've seen each seem to have a single-minded focus, an obsession of some sort. The Box Ghost seems to openly declare his intention to use any available box and said box's contents to terrorize people. There's a Lunch Lady Ghost that demands healthy eating habits, offers a cookie, and attacks. I've also seen a tall blond ghost in pajamas who asks everyone he meets to be his friend and freezes everything he breathes on. Then, there's Technus, who possesses technology of all sorts."

Morgan looked at her with interest. "We ran into him on the way here. Phantom was fighting him."

Maddie was surprised. "I didn't get an alert on the ghost sensor equipment. I'll have to make sure it's working properly."

The redhead shook her head. "Anyway," she continued, "one of the most enigmatic ghosts is the Wisconsin Ghost. I couldn't figure out _what_ his obsession was, but it mainly seemed to be humiliating Jack. He threw things around, temporarily possessed Jack, and demonstrated any number of powers above and beyond most of the powers I recognize.

"He threatened to kidnap me, and he's particularly strong. Then, he seemed to just... I couldn't figure out _how_ he escaped, but it looked painful."

Jack cut in, furiously. "No one makes a meat puppet out of Jack Fenton! I beat him, fair and square. Even _he_ admitted it, before he left."

Morgan and Prentiss looked at one another. This 'Wisconsin Ghost' shared several characteristics with what they'd heard about Danny Phantom. There was obviously a connection of some kind between them; they just didn't know what it was. Prentiss brought the focus to the reason they were here. "So how does Danny Phantom fit into that?"

Maddie sighed again, her confusion clear. "Honestly, Agent Prentiss, I'm not sure. His activity doesn't seem to demonstrate a particular obsession. He's been seen all over town, and he's done so many different things. We just can't seem to pinpoint what he's after."

Jack couldn't contain himself any longer. "That ghost is a menace to society! He trashes every place he shows up! The high school has needed repairs done so often, it's a wonder it's still standing!" The large man swung his arms to emphasize his point as he spoke, his wife snagging his arm when it got too close to her in his enthusiasm.

Both agents winced at the volume. Morgan noted, "It sounds like ghost fights are pretty destructive."

Maddie nodded. "They can be. The ghosts we've seen don't seem to care about the damage they cause. Whenever Phantom shows up, it seems like the collateral damage is even worse. Buildings are in constant need of repair. Streets are being repaved on an almost daily basis. And Jack isn't too far off about Casper High; it needs repairs at least once a month."

Prentiss considered this. "Mrs. Fenton, I'd like your opinion on that ghost fight we saw. We'll share our observations of the fight, and we'd appreciate hearing your thoughts, as experts."

The redhead leaned forward in interest. "Of course, Agent Prentiss. What can you tell us about the fight?"

The brunette brushed her hair behind one ear as she crossed her legs. "Well, I caught sight of a flash of green inside an electronics store. I had Morgan stop the car just in time for us to see this black and white blur fly out of the store, and into the wall on the other side of the street.

"The blur turned out to be Danny Phantom. He was staring at the store front, his hands glowing green, as this ghost calling itself Technus flew out, followed by what seemed to be half the merchandise in the store."

Morgan continued. "Phantom seemed annoyed about missing school, for some reason. He fired a blast at Technus, who blocked it with a VCR. Then, Technus threw a TV, but the television was aimed at _us_. Phantom raised this green dome over us, then blasted the TV. When Technus started complaining about the TV's destruction, Phantom got angry that humans were put in danger.

"The kid blasted Technus back into the store, and then came over to ask if we were okay. Once we assured him we were fine, he pulled out this thermos that trapped Technus inside. Then, he flew off in a hurry, like he was late for something."

As Jack tightened his grip on his weapon, Maddie raised a hand to her mouth and gasped. She said, "My goodness! That must have been frightening!"

Jack quickly blurted out, "I _told_ you that ghost was a menace to society! Just look at what almost happened to you guys! Federal agents! It's un-American!"

Morgan lowered his head to cover his face with one hand. Shaking his head in disbelief at the large man's narrow-minded focus, he looked back up at the couple. "Mr. Fenton, I don't think Phantom was even aware of our presence until the television was thrown. He looked honestly scared that we might get hurt."

Prentiss nodded in agreement. "Morgan's right. We were the only people around after the fight started. There was no one else to watch what they were doing. And no one knew we were going to be here, so I doubt they would have had a chance to stage a fight just as we were heading over to see you."

Neither ghost hunter seemed convinced. They were so certain that all ghosts were evil, that the idea of one wanting to protect people was foreign to them. Maddie was solicitous for the people involved, especially her kids, but she really _was_ concerned for the welfare of the agents. Jack, on the other hand, had a single-minded focus that was, quite literally, obsessive.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I do not own either _Danny Phantom_ or _Criminal Minds_.

A/N: Thank you, once again, to everyone who has read, reviewed, and added this fic and me to your assorted lists. I offer everyone honeycake and apples with honey in gratitude for all of your support.

Chapter 5

In an unused classroom at Casper High, JJ and Reid waited for the next teacher to walk in. When the door opened, a tall, overweight, bald man with a dark goatee walked in. "I'm Mr. William Lancer, the English teacher and vice principal. Principal Ishiyama asked me to stop in."

Both agents rose to greet the teacher. JJ did introductions. "Mr. Lancer, I'm Agent Jennifer Jareau and this is Dr. Spencer Reid. We're with the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit."

Lancer froze just as he was shaking hands with Reid. " _The Private Files of J. Edgar Hoover_! What's this about?" He let go of Reid's hand, ready to try to stop them from leaving the room.

JJ held her hands in a conciliatory gesture. "To start with, Mr. Lancer, no one's in trouble. We've been called in on a simple consult. We're just asking questions to get an idea of the general situation here."

Lancer relaxed at her words. " _That's_ a relief! I can't think of one thing in Amity Park that could require an inquiry by the FBI. Our most common disturbances are by ghosts, and that can't _possibly_ be the FBI's purview." He began to sit down across from the two agents.

Reid cleared his throat in embarrassment. "Actually, that is precisely why we've been called. We've been asked to do a behavioral analysis of ghosts."

Lancer stood straight and threw his arms out in surprise. " _Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead_! This can't _possibly_ be real. While we've seen our share of ghosts, and they _definitely_ have personalities, getting the FBI involved just doesn't track."

JJ, who'd been about to sit down herself, sighed and also remained standing. "Sir, while it's true that most Federal agents don't _usually_ deal with ghosts, we're the ones people call on when it's necessary to think outside the box." The Guys in White readily admitted that they _have_ no imagination.

Lancer visibly relaxed, taking a seat, as he recognized that the agents were no threat to him or his students. With the unusual presence of _legitimate_ Federal agents, Mr. Lancer was sure that, perhaps something useful would happen. How very interesting!

The teacher rested his arms on the table, and the agents took their own seats, the tension leaving their shoulders. "Right then," Lancer acknowledged. "So, how can I help you?"

JJ got the ball rolling with something simple. "What's your general impression of ghosts?"

Lancer considered the question carefully. "Different ghosts have different motivations. Some ghosts are just trying to get everyone's attention, like that infernal Box Ghost," he rolled his eyes, "who announces his name before causing cubical mayhem.

"Some seem to be more interested in causing frightening levels of _violence_ as well as chaos, like those villains from _Trinity of Doom_ coming to life. (They didn't actually hurt anybody, but I don't know if their aim was to hurt anyone or simply to be frightening. They succeeded with _that_ goal in spades.)

"Sometimes, all we experience is a vague ghostly influence, which can be as harmless as a ghost simply being present but invisible, or as frightening as a ghost possessing items, making them go haywire from a distance."

JJ made a note that this was similar to Mr. Faluca's comments earlier.

Lancer continued, "Some ghosts are far _more_ frightening than simple or obvious motivations would allow for. The Fright Knight and the Ghost King, for example. They were the ghosts involved with dragging Amity Park into the Ghost Zone a month ago." He paused, shuddering at the memory. "They are of a different magnitude, and I can't even _begin_ to fathom what they are about. I only know that they are more powerful than any other ghost I've ever heard of."

Getting into the main reason for the agents' presence, the blonde agent asked, "What do you think of Danny Phantom?"

Lancer sat back in his chair. "Ah... Danny Phantom..." He smiled warmly.

Reid, noticing this, offered, "You seem to be... fond of him."

Lancer jerked out of his reverie. "Yes. I guess you could say that." He cleared his throat. "Danny Phantom is a good ghost. He always tries to be helpful, and protective of his fellow students." He paused for three beats, realized what he'd said, then raised a finger. "Uh... _the_ students. Yes... He's very protective of _the_ students."

JJ and Reid looked at one another, eyebrows raised. He obviously thought they wouldn't notice his slip. Mutually agreeing that it would serve no purpose to call him on it right now, they just let it pass. They could always follow up on it at a later time. JJ prompted him, "What else can you tell us?"

Lancer cleared his throat again. "Well, yes... Um... Danny Phantom has been protective of the students, whether the ghosts he's protecting us from are here in this school, out about town, in the mall, the fast food places kids go, the concerts they attend..."

Both agents recalled the file they'd read. Garcia's comments on Ember had them both considering Lancer's comments in a different light.

The teacher went on, "I _heard_ about that awful Circus Gothica. I don't know if he was involved, but if he was, I'm sure that he was instrumental in defeating Friedrich Showenhower."

Reid commented, "You know, Showenhower's case was very interesting. The broken staff the police found was in his family for generations. They owned a traveling circus that entertained people across Europe for decades. Few people realized that the acts performed by the acrobats were impossible for the human body to accomplish.

"It was only when Showenhower was found with stolen items from across the country that it was learned that the staff was controlling ghosts. Of course, we only know what the staff did because Showenhower told the police when he was questioned."

Lancer was very impressed that Reid took the time to learn about the biggest crime committed by a human that Amity Park had seen in years.

JJ turned to look at the younger agent. "You mean the Guys in White got something right?"

"Even a stopped clock is right twice a day," Mr. Lancer quipped.

Reid smirked. "Statistically, it's highly unlikely for anyone to be wrong all the time, so they were bound to get _something_ right."

Lancer cocked his head and observed, "So the FBI has little to no respect for the Guys in White. Interesting."

Puzzled by the teacher's comment, Reid asked, "What's interesting, Mr. Lancer?"

Lancer told him, "I find it fascinating that two Federal agencies that are supposed to share information don't seem to have the same... _gravitas_. It doesn't surprise me because, from all that we've seen and heard about the GiW, they are rather obsessively stuck on Danny Phantom."

JJ smiled, glad that he'd brought the topic back to the predominant point. "Now that we're back to talking about him, what do the _students_ think of Danny Phantom?" Since Lancer seemed to be more aware of the students' attitudes than the other teachers, JJ decided this was a good question to ask.

Lancer raised his eyebrows. "That's a bit of a complicated answer. _Most_ of the students idolize him. I've discouraged Miss Sanchez from lighting candles in the _shrine_ she keeps to him in her _locker_..." He rolled his eyes in annoyance at the mental image, then came back to his original line of thought.

"Yes, well... Besides a few students who have gone rather a bit overboard, most of the students cheer him on as a hero. They know he's responsible for rescuing all of us countless times from all kinds of ectoplasmic malefactors!"

Reid smiled to himself at the teacher's vocabulary choice.

The teacher tilted his head and frowned, stroking his beard in thought. "Except for Miss Valerie Grey... She seems to hold a very strong grudge against 'the Ghost Boy.'" The agents could almost see the quotes around the phrase. "I've never been able to parse together _why_ she has this grudge, but she seems to be the lone voice in the school against Danny Phantom."

Reid was sure there was an interesting story behind that. A grudge was personal. That meant that something Phantom did hurt Miss Grey in some way. Perhaps one of the students knew more about it than Mr. Lancer. A glance beside him assured him that JJ agreed with his assessment.

Cautiously, JJ asked, "If there were students we wanted to ask about Danny Phantom's specific motivations, who would you suggest we talk to?"

Lancer's eyes got _very_ wide. "You promise they're not going to be in trouble?"

Reid assured him, "No one is in trouble, sir."

JJ seconded his statement. "We're just here to learn and understand."

Reid added, "Who knows? If we determine that Danny Phantom is a good kid, it may be in our best interests to protect him."

Lancer leaned his elbows on the table, steepling his hands in front of his face. After about ten seconds, he removed his hands. "In that case, you would do well to speak to Tucker Foley and Samantha Manson. (Remember to call her 'Sam,' if you like your shins unbruised.) But _no one_ knows Danny Phantom like Danny and Jazz Fenton."

Reid nodded, noting this mentally. No one would know Danny _Phantom_ like Danny _Fenton_. Right.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I do not own either _Danny Phantom_ or _Criminal Minds_.

A/N: Thank you, once again, to everyone who has read and reviewed this story and added it, and me, to your lists. The response has been phenomenal! Already, this story has topped nearly all of my stories, with the exception of my _NCIS_ fics, in views. In thanks, I offer apple pie topped by a scoop of the ice cream flavor of your choice.

Chapter 6

A little after noon, the team reconvened at the police station for lunch and to compare notes. After Hotch introduced everyone to Sergeant Anderson and Officer Vasquez, the FBI agents gathered in a conference room with their lunches.

Hotch turned to Rossi as they all began to eat. "Dave, why don't you start us off?"

The older man nodded. "Alright. Well, the police here have differing opinions on Danny Phantom. Some see him as a hero, while others see him as a public menace. Aaron and I got quite an education on both sides of the issue without asking _any_ questions. The officers we interviewed were particularly vocal.

"The officers said the kid has been protecting the students at the high school. During a massive ghost invasion of the town, it looked to witnesses like Phantom attempted to kidnap the Mayor, but the officers said the Mayor told them Phantom protected him. The ghost fights cause a lot of property damage, but that seems to mostly be collateral damage. Phantom's involvement with the jewelry heists Freakshow was arrested for shows every indication of being under duress."

Hotch scowled. "One of the officers actually suggested _stealing_ from one of the jewelry stores and blaming Phantom, who was seen there when the officers interrupted the heist in progress."

The rest of the team raised eyebrows at this. Garcia, on speaker from Quantico, sounded furious as she put in her two cents. "Okay, that is just plain _wrong_! I don't _care_ if Phantom is a ghost, you don't _do_ that to someone!"

Morgan sighed. "Mama, just take a breath. I'll bet that officer already learned his lesson."

"He sure did," Rossi put in. "Don't worry, Kitten. He won't be pulling _that_ again. His partner is _still_ annoyed with him."

"Good," the tech girl stated firmly.

Hotch cleared his throat. "Moving on, let's continue with Morgan and Prentiss. How did your interview with the Fentons go?"

After a silent conversation with his partner, Morgan took up his explanation. "The Fentons have extensive knowledge of ghosts, in general. They confirmed what we already know about general ghost behavior: ghosts are normally focused on one obsession, to the exclusion of all else. Every ghost is capable of the same three powers, with additional capabilities varying from ghost to ghost. The ghosts the Fentons mentioned almost all seem to have abilities that have some relationship with their obsession.

"Danny Phantom doesn't fit that pattern. The Fentons haven't been able to figure out what his pattern is. And if that's not weird enough, the Fentons have discovered another ghost out there whose behavior is just as odd as Phantom's."

Garcia squeaked, " _Another_ one?"

Morgan nodded and clarified. "Yep, another one. Mrs. Fenton called him the 'Wisconsin Ghost.' Apparently, she's had trouble identifying what his obsession is. The only clue she has is his interest in humiliating her husband. But they've only seen him a couple of times. He doesn't seem to be taking it seriously, if it _is_ his obsession. All _Mr. Fenton_ cares about is that he beat the ghost."

Prentiss took over. "Mrs. Fenton fully admitted that she doesn't understand Phantom's motivation. The same things that confused the Guys in White confused her. Mr. Fenton considers Phantom to be a menace. The damage caused by ghost fights seems to be his main concern. Mrs. Fenton told us that the damage to the streets and buildings is worse when Phantom is involved." The brunette glanced at Morgan, the incident in transit to FentonWorks on her mind.

JJ noticed her colleagues' bemused expressions. "Alright, you two, spill it. What else happened?"

Sighing, Morgan told her, "On our way to FentonWorks, we saw a ghost fight."

Reid's eyes went wide at this. "The odds of that are astronomical! What was it like?"

Prentiss considered how to answer this. "It caught us by surprise, certainly. I noticed motion in an electronics store and warned Morgan. He stopped the car just as a black and white blur flew out of the store, and crashed into the wall on the other side of the street."

Garcia interrupted her. "Oh my God, are you guys okay?"

"We're alright, Penelope," Morgan reassured her. "I stopped just before the store. We weren't hit."

A sigh of relief could be heard over the speaker. "Do not scare me like that ever again. You had me worried."

Prentiss smiled fondly. "Just remember that we're talking to you, right now." She looked at the other agents present. "We got out of the car and watched what turned out to be Danny Phantom pull himself out of the dent he'd made in the wall."

Shocked gasps from the rest of the team had Morgan confirming. "That's right. Ghosts seem to be more durable than humans. Phantom looked like the impact didn't even phase him. Which was a good thing, since another ghost came out of the store with about half the merchandise in the place floating behind him."

Prentiss resumed the story. "The ghost named himself Technus and declared his intention to use the merchandise in some world-domination plot. Phantom, surprisingly, seemed annoyed at the fact that he was missing school to deal with Technus." Reid nodded in understanding at this. "At this point, the kid fired at the other ghost, who blocked it. Then, Technus threw a TV, but it was flying at _us_.

"Phantom raised this dome to protect us before blasting the TV. When Technus started a rant about the TV's expense, Phantom interrupted him, furious that humans were put in danger. Then, he blasted Technus back into store before coming to check on us. We assured him we were fine, and he took out this thermos that captured Technus. Then, he flew off like he was late for something."

Reid smiled. "That doesn't surprise me. What JJ and I saw confirms it."

Hotch looked at the youngest agent. "What do you mean, Reid?"

"Well, we spent the morning interviewing the teachers," Reid explained. "What they told us gave me the information we needed to fill in our profile."

JJ rolled her eyes. "Spence, let's tell them what the teachers _said_ , first. Then, you can give your conclusions." At the genius's nod, the blonde agent continued. "Ms. Ishiyama, the school principal, was _extremely_ helpful. She made sure all of the teachers came to speak with us, at some point.

"Some teachers thought Phantom might be dangerous, but most seem to have decided that Phantom just wants to help. One, Mr. Faluca, told us about an incident where Danny Phantom saved him from a ghostly giant mosquito. That same day, a large proportion of the students began exhibiting something like ghost powers. They were quarantined by a doctor who didn't clearly state what agency he worked for."

Garcia offered, "Yeah, Reid had me look into this Dr. Bert Rand, and the guy doesn't exist. And the CDC has no record of a quarantine order in Amity Park, Illinois."

Hotch nodded thoughtfully. "So someone was taking advantage of those kids for an unknown purpose. What else did you learn?"

JJ resumed her report. "William Lancer, the vice principal and English teacher, pays more attention to his students as people than the others. He seems to have been present for more ghost attacks than any other teacher. He talked about the differing motivations of ghosts: seeking attention, chaos, violence, and some more complicated than he could understand.

"Mr. Lancer seemed almost fond of Danny Phantom. He was quite clear that Phantom protects the students. Though, he slipped up, at one point, and said Phantom was protective of 'his fellow students.' He tried to cover the slip, but not very well."

Reid nodded in agreement. "When we asked about which students to talk to, he recommended the Fenton kids, Tucker Foley and Sam Manson. He also said no one knew Danny Phantom better than Danny Fenton. Personally, I don't find that surprising, and not because of his parents."

Rossi raised an eyebrow. "Oh really? Why's that, kid?"

Reid smirked. "Because Danny _Fenton_ is actually Danny _Phantom_. Has anyone ever seen pictures of them side by side?"

Garcia called out, "Hold on one moment. My fingers are flying faster than that black and white blur you mentioned. And... sent!"

All their iPads were showing two pictures. One was a school photo of Danny Fenton, black hair hanging over bright blue eyes. The other was of Danny Phantom, standing akimbo in midair, white hair partially obscuring glowing green eyes.

Prentiss stared at the photos. "My God! It's like he's wearing a Rave wig and colored lenses! It's him!"

Eyes were wide all around the table as the information brought the rest of their facts into alignment. Garcia broke the silence. "That kid is _so_ brave to fight like that when his own _parents_ think he's evil!"

"He's incredibly brave," Hotch agreed. "This afternoon, I want Rossi and Morgan to join JJ and Reid at the school. Talk to the Fenton kids and their friends." At the nods, he continued. "Let's work out a plan for dealing with the Guys in White. We'll meet at their facility after you talk to the kids."


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I do not own either _Danny Phantom_ or _Criminal Minds_.

A/N: Thank you to everyone who has read, reviewed, and added this story (and me) to your assorted lists. The response has been amazing, and I hope you all enjoy this final installment of _Behavioral Science and Ghosts_. I offer everyone pumpkin pie and apple cider in thanks.

Chapter 7

Once the team had sorted out their plan of action, they all split to their various tasks. While Hotch and Prentiss called the Illinois Field Office, Rossi, JJ, Morgan and Reid went to Casper High. A quick conversation with Principal Ishiyama, and the four agents waited for the students in the classroom JJ and Reid used that morning.

The door soon opened to admit Jazz Fenton, followed by her brother Danny, Sam Manson, and Tucker Foley. All four were clearly nervous as they took seats in front of the agents. Jazz hovered protectively beside Danny, who rubbed one arm as he studied the four adults. Sam, dressed all in black, tapper her combat boots on the floor impatiently.

Tucker, almost in awe of Morgan the moment he saw the taller African-American, nervously tugged his beret and twitched as he fought not to pull out the PDA sticking out of one pocket of his khakis. The dark teen quickly decided that the tall, muscular agent was the height of cool. This is what he wanted to be when he grew up! He didn't care _what_ he had to do to get there! Chicks would _so_ dig him! He'd be beating them off with a stick!

JJ opened the conversation, giving the four teens a gentle smile. "I just want to remind you all that no one is in trouble, here. We're only searching for the truth." As the teens all relaxed marginally, the Communications Liaison continued. "I'm Agent Jareau, and these are my colleagues, Agents Rossi and Morgan, and Dr. Reid." Each of the men nodded as their names were given.

Jazz perked up. "Of course! I remember you, Dr. Reid. We had such a _great_ conversation this morning! And I remember meeting you, too, Agent Jareau!" She nodded to the other two agents. "I'm Jazz Fenton. And this is my brother, Danny. And Sam Manson and Tucker Foley."

Tucker decided his initials, 'T.F.' for 'Too Fine,' was a great line, but inappropriate here.

The blonde agent nodded. "Thank you for that pleasant introduction, Jazz. Now, your teachers have told us that you four are the best ones to talk to about Danny Phantom."

Flattered at this, Tucker offered, "I'll say!"

Danny perked up a bit and asked, "What do you want to know?"

JJ told him, "Well, we're trying to understand the differences between Danny Phantom and other ghosts."

Danny asked, "What have you found?"

"Well, we've been talking to people around town, and there have been some interesting discussions about Phantom's motives."

Sam crossed her arms. "Like what?" She didn't snarl, but it was a close thing.

Rossi raised his hands in a placating gesture. "Slow down, kiddo. Just remember: _Whatever_ we found, nobody's in trouble."

Sam nodded distrustfully, but released her arms. "Ok."

The older agent continued. "You see, the police," all the teens drew a sharp breath, "seemed rather uncertain about him. Some were convinced he's a menace, and others thought he's just trying his best to help. I listened to an interesting conversation between two officers debating the issue, and they basically said that Phantom has an undeserved bad rap."

Danny let out a pleased "Huh!"

Jazz thought, 'I _knew_ they'd catch on.'

Tucker announced, "Took 'em long enough!"

"The greatest negative attention he received," Rossi explained, "was due to a lot of misunderstandings and an instance of operating under duress."

Danny and Tucker both looked confused for a moment, but Jazz clarified, "He was forced in some way." Both boys nodded in understanding, and all of the teens relaxed a bit more. Maybe the FBI _wouldn't_ decide to arrest Danny Phantom.

Morgan now spoke. "I actually witnessed a ghost fight this morning." Danny's eyes widened in recognition for a moment before he managed to school his expression into one of vague interest. "Phantom was annoyed about having to fight a ghost when he was supposed to be in school. That was odd in itself, since it seemed unlikely for a ghost to need regular schooling."

Jazz raised her eyebrows, shooting her brother a glance. Danny turned his head and thought, 'Oh, crud!'

"Then, when the other ghost threw a television at my partner and me, Phantom was visibly scared, and protected us before destroying it. And the kid got upset about humans being put in danger."

Danny preened a moment. "Yep! That's Danny Phantom all over!"

The agents smiled at Danny's preening. Morgan tipped his head to the side. "You know, Phantom is far more concerned about humans being hurt than any other ghost we've been told about."

Jazz noted, "I've been observing ghost behavior, myself. I would have to agree with you, there."

Danny rolled his eyes. "Well, duh!" Sam discreetly kicked him under the table and shushed him.

Reid raised a finger in the air, and got ready to explain his conclusions. "When JJ and I spoke to the teachers, most of them were impressed with Phantom's desire to protect the students. Mr. Lancer, in particular, called him a hero."

Danny lowered his head. "Awww."

"He even told us that Phantom 'always tries to be helpful, and protective of his fellow students.'"

Jazz seemed impressed at how well the agents had presented their evidence. Sam and Tucker shared a glance and tensed, as though preparing to protect their friend. Danny's eyes went particularly wide at this.

Reid settled himself against the desk in front of him, arms spread apart to show he wasn't going for his weapon. "Danny, we know that you're Danny Phantom."

Danny looked up at the agents, arms crossed protectively over his middle. "What are you going to do?"

JJ pulled her chair over beside the uncomfortable teen. "What do you want us to do? No one is in trouble."

All of the teens looked at her in disbelief. Sullenly, Danny told the agent, "Tell that to the Guys in White."

Rossi scratched his beard absently. "Why don't you tell _us_ about the Guys in White?"

The four teens were soon going over every time the Guys in White got involved in the ghost activity in Amity Park. They started with the bounty, though they seemed to know who the anonymous benefactor was that offered the bounty. Danny, Sam and Tucker brought up other general complaints about their persistence and how they ignored most other ghosts when Danny Phantom was around.

Jazz told them, "After Danny saved Amity Park from the Ghost King last month, he was given a 64% approval rating. But the government also passed the Anti-Ecto Control Act, which declared that ghosts don't have _any_ rights. The GiW have declared their intentions to experiment on any ghosts they capture."

"I mean, I'm an American citizen," Danny declared. "I'm not a different person just because ectoplasm bonded to my DNA. But the Guys in White won't care about any of that. So what will you do with this?"

Morgan answered, "We'll tell the Guys in White the truth: Danny Phantom is a good kid."

Reid added, "We'll explain that Danny Phantom is different from other ghosts because he's half human, but we won't tell them who his human half is."

Danny suddenly thought of Vlad Masters, a.k.a. Vlad Plasmius. "Um, what about other half-ghosts?"

Recalling the team's earlier conclusions on the 'Wisconsin Ghost,' JJ reassured the teen, "Like any other citizen, any half-ghost is innocent until proven guilty. Unless we have evidence that leads us to suspect a person of having committed a crime, that person is free to live their life."

Danny and his friends all sighed in relief. Vlad had made threats regarding the revelation of this secret. It was good to know they wouldn't have to worry about that yet.

Rossi offered, "You know, Danny, I think you should tell your parents." At the worried looks on the teens' faces, he told them, "I'm sure you'll be alright. We can help you with that. You should probably also talk to a teacher about it. Mr. Lancer already seems to be aware of your secret. If you tell him, he can help mitigate any problems with missing class for ghost fights." At the teens' reluctant nods, he added, "And if you ever need help, or _anything_ , feel free to call." He pulled out some business cards to give to the four students, as did the other agents.

* * *

Later that afternoon, the team met at the Guys in White facility. They were to give the profile to Operatives O and K and their Director. They assembled in the office of the Director, Hotch holding two files in one hand.

The Director asked, "SSA Hotchner, I understand that you and your team have already worked out a profile on Danny Phantom?"

Hotch nodded. "We have, Director."

"May we hear it?" The Director's eagerness was clear to hear in his voice.

Presenting one of the folders he held to the Director, Hotch told him, " First of all, based on all the evidence we've gathered, Danny Phantom is a good kid trying his best to help the people of his town. All of the negative press was based on simple misunderstandings. The students and teachers of Casper High mostly consider him a hero."

Operatives O and K were livid. O announced, "We asked you to profile this kid so that we could catch him!"

K agreed. "Now, it sounds like you want us to stop chasing him!"

Rossi stepped forward to cut these idiots off. "The other thing we learned about Phantom is what makes him different from other ghosts. The kid is half human. That means that he has the same rights as any other American citizen. Unless you have proof that this kid is a danger to others, you _have_ to leave him alone!"

Finding all of their reasons to hunt Phantom cut off at the knees, O and K stuttered almost in unison, "B-but what about the bounty?"

Morgan didn't bother to hide his fury. "The U.S. Attorney General considers the bounty tantamount to selling the kid into slavery! You try collecting on it, and we'll put you away and get this joke of an agency shut down for condoning it!"

Before the Operatives and their Director could recover, Hotch handed over the second folder in his hand. "Director, this folder contains a restraining order. You go _anywhere_ near Danny Phantom or _any_ of the humans of Amity Park he regularly associates with, and we will have you in jail so fast, your heads will spin!"

All three of the Guys in White nodded their heads meekly. "We understand, Agent Hotchner," the Director reluctantly conceded. "I will make sure the rest of our Operatives are aware of this."

Hotch smiled grimly. "Good." At that, he turned and left, followed by the rest of his team. It was time for them to return to Quantico. It would be a relief to return to their regular case load.

* * *

" _Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice the reality for all of God's children."_ – Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.


End file.
